Influence of CO2 impurities on Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) in conventional oil reservoirs

About the project

About the Project The application of CO 2 injection for Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) has proven to be an effective technique for increasing oil recovery from mature reservoirs. However, the presence of CO2 impurities—such as nitrogen (N 2 ), methane (CH 4 ), hydrogen sulphide (H 2 S), and water—may significantly influence the thermodynamic and fluid flow properties, thereby impacting recovery efficiency. This research proposes a comprehensive numerical modelling and simulation study to evaluate the effects of CO2 impurities on the key mechanisms of CO 2 -EOR. We will develop a set of integrated models to simulate the interactions between CO 2, impurities, and reservoir fluids. This includes: thermodynamic models to predict the phase behaviour and miscibility of CO 2 mixtures with varying impurity concentrations compositional modelling to simulate the dynamic displacement of oil by CO 2 mixtures in porous media multi-phase flow simulations to evaluate the effects of impurities on reservoir fluid mobility, pressure, and displacement efficiency. The study will explore a range of impurity concentrations, examining their effects on key parameters such as CO 2 solubility, oil recovery factor, interfacial tension, and capillary pressure. Additionally, a sensitivity analysis will be performed to assess the impact of impurity-induced changes in reservoir rock wettability and permeability on the overall EOR process. The simulation results will provide critical insights into the role of CO 2 impurities in modifying reservoir performance and guide the development of optimised CO2 injection strategies. This work will not only address the challenges posed by impurities but also offer practical recommendations for improving CO 2 -EOR efficiency in the context of impure CO 2 sources. How to apply Formal applications can be submitted via the University of Bradford web site ; applicants will need to register an account, select 'Postgraduate Research' as the course and then use the keywords 'chemical engineering'. Applicants should then specify the project title in the 'Research Proposal' section. About the University of Bradford Bradford is a research-active University supporting the highest-quality research. We excel in applying our research to benefit our stakeholders by working with employers and organisations world-wide across the private, public, voluntary and community sectors and actively encourage and support our postgraduate researchers to engage in research and business development activities. Positive Action Statement At the University of Bradford our vision is a world of inclusion and equality of opportunity, where people want to, and can, make a difference. We place equality and diversity, inclusion, and a commitment to social mobility at the centre of our mission and ethos. In working to make a difference we are committed to addressing systemic inequality and disadvantages experienced by Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic staff and students. Under sections 158-159 of the Equality Act 2010, positive action can be taken where protected group members are under-represented. At Bradford, our data show that people from Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic groups who are UK nationals are significantly under-represented at the postgraduate researcher level. These are lawful measures designed to address systemic and structural issues which result in the under-representation of Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic students in PGR studies.

Research areas